Automobile signal



May 29, 1928, 1,671,732

W. P. M MICKING AUTOMOBILE S IGNAL Filed June 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1gwoento't May 29, 1928. 1,671,732

w. P. M MICKING AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed June 11, 192 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gwuentoz vide an unusually simpjl Patented May 29, 1928.

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1 Application filed 1111 511, 1m; s m ml 198,222.

1 It is. the object of this invention to pro e and efiicient signal foruse. on an automo y or stopping of the vehicle upon which the signal ismounted. 1 y n More. particularly; it is my object to r0 Vid'e a Signalwhich may be extended'an retracted by air or gas operated means andhaving the further advantage of being unusually inconspicuous whenretracted. The inventlon also includes certain other novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of the. parts which will be more fullypointed out in the following specification "and The accompanyin drawingsillustrate the bestforms ofmy evice at present known to. me, In thedrawings Figure 1 is a flag mental-y side elevation of a. motor vehiclewith my improvedsiglnalmounted thereon Fig. 2 is the bottoinp an view ofthe signal artially in horizontal section; Fig. :3 1s a etail side viewof the valve foncontrolling the signal; Fig. 4 is a horizontal "sectiontaken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig45 shows an alternate form of myinvention mounted on a vehicle and as viewed from the seat of thevehicle driver looking forward, and ,Fig. 6] the horizontal sectiontaken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In the referred form of my: invention- 1 shown in igs. lto 4 inclusive,the signal proper, indicatedfby the'numeral 7, is'arranged to beilluminated in the usual am ner andto be extended horizontally atftheleft side of a vehicle. A piston rod S sopports, the signal? upon its.outer erid and is fixed atits inner end to a piston}? within a cylinder10. Communicating with opposite ends oi this Cylinder 10 are tiibes 11and 12 for admitting air or gas at different pressures to opposite endsof the cylinder. A valve 13 having an operating knob 14 is connected tothe tubes 11 and 12 and also connects with a tube 15 adapted tocommunicate with the intake manifold of an automobile engine of thecommon type. Otherwlse the tube 15 may beconnected with asource of airunder pressure. As pneumatically operated wind-shield wipers,-such asthe wiper 16 shown in Fig. 1, are in present wide use, I have found thatthe connection for the tube 15 onmany automobiles is convenientlylocated above the wind-shield 17 of the vehicle. Thus I prefer to mountthe cylinder 10 in horizontal position above the windshield.

ile to indicate turns,

In the embodiment illustrated, suitable clamps 18 are provided forsecuring the 1-1 inder to the upper frame. member of a wind-shield 17.

The control valve 13 may be placed in any convenient location withineasy reach of the driver ofthe vehicle. As shown in Fig. 1,this valvemaybe mounted on the roof of the vehicle above the drivers seat. Theconstruction of the valve 13 issuch that by operating the knob 14 amovable element '19 maybe caused to place either the ipe 11 or'pipe 12in communication with the pipe 15.1 As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a passageway 20 is formed in the movable element 19 to connect at one end witheither a port 21 communicating with the tube 11 or with a port 22communicatin The opposite end of t 1e passageway 2015 always incommunication with a port 23 opening into the pipe 15. As shown in Fig.2 stop pins 24 are provided to limit movement of the element 19. Theconstruction of the valve is such that when the assay}:- way 20 isincommunication with t e port 22, a port 21 isope'n to the outside airor atn'iospheric pressure and when the passageway 20 communicates withtl'ieport 21, port 22 is opened to atmospheric pressure." "To hold themovable elementflil of'the valve firmly u ion its seat 27, a coiledspring 2.5 is pzovlde on a spindle 26 connecting the ob 14 with theelement 19. i

In thealternate form ofmy device, shown in Figs. 5 andfiyI provide :1signal28 similarto thesignal7 and this signal 28 is supported uponapiston rod 29 which is movable by a piston in a cylinder 30, similar tothe cylinder 10 but'otshorter length. The cylinder 301s supported by aclamp 31 adapted to be secured to any convenient part of the vehiclesuch as one of the supporting posts 32 of the wind-shield 33. Proectingoutward from the post 32 is a hearing which is attached to the clamp 31and arranged to support a horizontal shaft 35. The base of the cylinder30 is rigidly mounted on one end of this shaft 35 and the other end ofsaid shaft is fitted with an operating lever 36 adapted to bemanipulated to tilt the cylinder 30 from vertical to the horizontalposition indicated indotted lines in Fig. 5. Tubes similar to the tubes11 and 12 of the referred construction are provided for admitting air toopposite ends of the cylinder 30 and a pipe 37 is arranged with the pipe12.

STATES PATENT omca.

to communicate with the intake manifold of the vehicle or with a sourceof air under pressure, corresponding to the pipe 15 of the preferredconstruction. A valve 34, similar in its function to the valve 13, islocated adjacent to the lever 36, being provided with a movable element38 corresponding to the element 19 shown in Fi' s. 3 and 4. This element38 is arranged toie operated by a pin 39 rojecting from the lever 36andextending into a slot 40 in said element.

Operation.

. In use prefer to mount the cylinder 10 of the preferred constructioninsuch horizontal posit-ion that the signal 7, does not, when retracted,project beyond the side of the vehicle. The operation is as follows,assuming that the pipe 1.5 is in communication with a suction elementsuch as an intake manifold. To extend the signal 7 horizontally at theside of the vehicle, the knob 14 ot the valve 13 is turned to the. ri htor in clockwise direction as viewed in I ig. so as to place the pipe 11in communication with the pipe 15 and to open the pipe 12, admitting tereto air at atmospheric pressure. Thus the reduced pressure upon oneside of piston 9 allows air at atmospheric pressure to force the pistonto the right and extend the rod 8 carrying the signal 7. When it isdesired to retract the signal the knob 14 is turned toward the left toconnect the pipe 12 to the pipe 15 and simultaneous- 1 open the pipe 11to receive outside air. Thus the piston 9 forced back to normal orretracted osition.

The operation of the alternate form of the device, shown in Figs. 5 and6, is as follows. When it is desired to extend the signal 7, the lever36 is moved through an arc of 90 degrees or from horizontal to 'verticalposition, thus turning the shaft 35 carrying the cylinder 30 andbringing the cylinder to the horizontal, dotted line position shown inFig. 5. During the first part of the movement of the lever 36 the pin 39moves in the; arruate slot 40 without operating the end of the slot 40and further movement of the leverv carries the element 38 through anare. This operates the valve 34 to admit air to the base of the cylinder30 and create suction in the pipe connected to the normally upper end ofthe cylinder. The piston rod 29 carrying the si nal 28 is thus extendedas shown in dotte lines in Fig. 5. To retract the signal the lever 36 ismerely returned to horizontal sition. This operates the element 38 'of te valve 34 in the reverse direction with the result that the rod 29carrying the signal is retracted into the cylinder 30 and said cylinderis returned to vertical position. y

If a source of com ressed air or gas is available on the vehicle,preferred construction or pipe 37 of the alternate form of the inventionma be connected to such source and the signa operated by pneumaticpressure above atmospheric the pipe 15 of the i i rather than by suctionas above described.

It will now be understood that my device is of such ,sim le constructionthat the parts will not rea il get out of order or require adjustment.The signal is e uall well adapted for use upon open and c ose types ofvehicles.

ters Patent is:

In an automobile signal, a pneumatic cyl inder rigidly mounted inhorizontal position above thewind-shield of thefvehicle, a piston insaid cylinder, a piston rod projecting from said cylinder, a signalonthe outer end of, ,said rod, pneumatic tubes for admitting air toopposite ends of said cylinder, a suction tube and a valve arranged toadmit air at atmospheric pressure to one of said pneumatic tubes and toconnect the other tube with said suction tube whereby the operation ofsaid piston'may be controlled and said signal extended or retracted.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed'my name to thisspecification.

WILLIAM P. MACMICKING.

